Diazepam and Modafinil

[dexter92]

hi

I’ve had various battles with Lyrica, Mirtazapine, Codiene. I’ve stopped all them over the years my main problem was diazepam I’ve tapered from 150mg a day down to my regular 20mg . I function well . I’ve stopped completely before and fell good by this stage.

I often feel drowsey and was thinking of taking the occasional modafinil on busy days.

not ideal but I can’t see much harm

My GP is useless once I was on 100mg of diazepam and was waiting to go into rehab and asked her for a small script. She refused saying she wasn’t going to give drugs to an addict 😱

She also prescribed me with Lyrica suggested they were like a SSSRI when I was clean.

Anyway Modafinil any thoughts please.

[Ryanlion]

Well done for getting as far as you have. Personally i would not rely on another drug if you have a tendancy to addiction. Why not have strong coffee or limit your carbs because they can make you feel drowsy if you have alot. Remember your doing great, keep it that way, better to be drug free.

[Jeff1943]

The dosages of diazepam you mention (100mg and 150mg) seem dangerously high and even 20mg daily for anything other than a short period I would say is excessive.When I was taking diazepam years ago I used to cut 5mg tablets in half and took 5mg to 7.5mg maximum per day. That was enough to do the trick.

You've done well tapering down from those high levels. Diazepam is best used only as needed now and then rather than regularly in my opinion.

But it is the best med of all for anxiety: it provides respite within minutes (not weeks) and it always works.

[Lin1944 in reply to Jeff1943]

Hi Jeff, I am like you I would never take Valium as I call them all the time. My GP gives me 28 x 5 mg to use when really anxious. I took for 7 days recently and they helped a lot. How long would you recommend taking them for as I am nervous in case I get addicted. Best Wishes

[Jeff1943 in reply to Lin1944]

Lin1944, in 1975 I took an average of 5mg of valium/diazepam every day for a year. They handed them out like chocolate buttons in those days. Then I stopped taking them cold turkey and felt dreadful, I realised I had become addicted to them. So I allowed myself the luxury of tapering off them over 6 months and from then on only took them when I felt it was absolutely necessary and not longer than 3 says consecutively.You ask how long I think you can take them without getting addicted. That depends on the daily dosage you're used to but the medical advice in the U.K. is that they should only be taken continuously for about 6 weeks. And I would add to taper them off over 10 days after that.

Diazepam was originally extracted from the Rawawulfa root in the Indian sub-continent where it has been used for hundreds of years in natural medicine. It was discovered by two Swiss La Roche chemists around 1950 and sythesised into the tranquilliser we know today.

It has been much demonised in recent years because of its 'addiction' and many doctors are scared to prescribe it. But aren't Prozac and Amitriptyline and all those 'respectable' tranquillisers equally habit forming and require tapering when coming off them?

Best ask this question of your doctor and make the point that you are a responsible user.

[Lin1944 in reply to Jeff1943]

Thanks for info Jeff. I am very lucky my GP lets me have Valium as I know a lot won’t prescribe it. I am only a social drinker but decided not to drink wine or cocktails as am on 2 types of anti depressents. Just hope it helps to stop the reoccurring depression. I have Dr Claire Weeks book and I still can’t get the hang of “ let the anxiety float past” Easier said than Done. Thanks for all your advice on here over the years, it’s helped me a lot. Happy Xmas x

[Jeff1943 in reply to Lin1944]

Sometimes it's difficult to tell anxiety and depression apart possibly because we can get depressed at the thought of another day of anxiety.Floating is a question of using your imagination, you simply imagine that you are being propelled forward by an invisible force that requires little or no effort on your part. After a while we begin to actually feel it.

I think that the restorative power of daylight is not widely appreciated. When we awake it is helpful in banishing a low mood if we get up and go outside for ten minutes and just look at the sky and the clouds, doesn't have to be sunny, maybe enjoy a cup of tea just sitting there.

There is still so much that is unknown about anxiety and depression, psychiatry and medications are an infant science that hardly existed 150 years ago, meds even less.